Last



Sept. 5, 1939. H, F LQEWER 2,171,706

LAST

Filed April 18, 1938 Panarea sept. s, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT' oFFicELAST Henry F. Loewer, Rochester, N. Y., signor to United ration o!Maine- .Last Company, Boston, Mus., a corpo- Application April 18, 1938,Serial No. 202,589 4 Chlml., (CL 12-138) The last of the presentinvention is in twoV parts severed by a cut having a cylindrical portionconcave forwardly, and joined by a pivotally pinned link which liesoblique to the cylindrical portion when the last is in extendedposition.

When collapsing the last the heel part is turned upwardly and forwardlyabout the axis of the cylindrical portion, and simultaneously separatesfrom the forepart owing to the Obliquity of the link, which during thismovement approaches a position normal to the cylindrical portion. Theclearance thus formed between the last parts permits the heel part toswing downwardly and backwardly about the rear link pin so that thelower portion of the heel part, which is the troublesome portion of theheel part to get out of or into the shoe, is carried forward to asubstantial extent and therefore does not tend to bind in the back ofthe shoe.

Preferably, and as herein illustrated, a notch is formed on the forepartof the last, interrupting the cylindrical portion of the cut, toaccommodate the lower front corner of the heel part and increase theamplitude of the latter described movement.

Conveniently, also, resilient means are provided to hold the lastimpositively in both extended and collapsed positions.

These and other features of the invention comprising certaincombinations and arrangements of parts will be apparent from thefollowing description of a preferred embodiment of the invention shownin the drawing, in which Fig. 1 shows the last in extended position; and

Fig. 2 shows the last in collapsed position.

'Ihe illustrated last is divided by a cut comprising a cylindricalportion I0 having its axis at I2 in front of the cut, a short horizontalplane lportion I4 serving to vprevent relative twisting of the lastparts, and a plane portion I6 sloping somewhat downwardly to the rearand intersecting the tread face of the last. In manufacture the portionI4 is broken after the portions I0 and I6 are sawed. 'Ihe last parts aredrilled for two pins I8, 20 and a bonding link 22 is mounted .on thepins. The link 22 has two cam portions 24 land 28 on its rear and frontends respectively. These cam portions cooperate with two balls 28, 30,respectively, which, by virtue of the 5 springs 32, 34, resilientlyholdthe link and last parts against movement from the positions shown inboth Figs. 1 and 2. These cam portions are in the form of extensionswhich lie farther from the centers of the pins I8, 20 than do those por-10 tions of the ends of the link that lie on each side of the camportions. The balls 28, 30 pass from one side of the cam portions to theother when the link swings in manipulating the last.

The secant face formed on the forepart by the 15 cylindrical cut I0 isinterrupted by a notch 36 cut across it from side to sideafter theseverance of the heel part.

When it is desired to collapse the last the heel part is swung upwardand forward. The axis al of the link 22 is oblique to or non-radial ofthe cut I0, at the place where it crosses the cut, as seen in Fig. 1, sothat this movement, which brings the axis of the link toward a positionnormal to the cut I U, will separate the heel part 25 from the forepart,thus providing clearance for the heel part to swing on the pin I8. Asthe collapsing movement is continued the heel part is swung clockwisearound the pin I8 until its lower front corner 38 lodges in the notch36, 80 las shown in Fig. 2. Meanwhile the balls 28, 30 slide over totheother sides of their cooperating cam portions on the link. The lastis then easily removed from a shoe 40 since the lower part of the heelpart is so far forward that it easily 35 spreads the counter and slidesout.

In relasting the shoe this process is reversed. The last is easily putinto the shoe in the Fig. 2 position, after which av pressure by theoperators thumb on the cone at 42 assisted immediately 4() after itsbeginning by the spring-pressed balls 28, 30 and the cam portions 24 and2B will reverse the described movement of the heel part and the lowerrear corner of the heel part will .follow the arrow in Fig. 2 back tothe Fig. 1 45 position.

It will be observed that no positive locking means is necessary to holdthe last in theA Fig. 1 position under manufacturing stresses, such asthat of the leveling operation. l

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent of the United -States is:

1. A last having a heel part and a forepart divided by a lgenerallycylindrical cut having its '55 posed secant faces on the last parte, ananchor pin in each last part, a bonding link having oircular holes nearits ends ntting said pins, said link lying non-radially ofthecylindrical cut when the last is in extended position, whereby thelast parts will separate when the heel part is swung` upwardly' andforwardly about the axis of the cylindrical cut to permit a simultaneousdownward and backward swing ofthe heel part to bring its lower frontcorner against the secant face of the forepart in collapse.

2. A last having a heel part and a forepart divided by a cut having anupper cylindrical portion concave forwardly and a lamer/plane portionintersecting the tread facie.l ifiiifili;eA last, a bonding linkpivotally pinned to bothlaftiparts axis located-in front of the out andforming oping cam portion to'hold the t extended and collapsedpositions.

3; Aflst ,having a heel'part and a forepart divided byr a cut having anupper cylindrical portionconcave forwardly and a lower plane portionintersecting the tread face of the last, and a bonding link pivotallypinned to both last parts, the secant face on the forepart beinginterrupted by a. notch, whereby the heel part may swingupwardly landforwardly about the front link pivot and downwardly and backwardly aboutthe rear link pivot to bring the lower front heel part corner into saidnotch.

4. A last having a heel part and a forepart divided by a cut having anupper cylindrical portion concave forwardly and a lower plane portionintersecting the tread face of the last, a

and having circular motion only, relatively there?, ,bndmg link Pivotanypinned t0 both last Parts' to, the axis of the link being non-radial tothem"the cylindrical portion "n the forep'rt being m' cylindricalportion of the cut when the last is in extended position, whereby whenthe heel part is swung upwardly and forwardly about the axis of thecylindrical portion it separates from .the forepart to permit its rearend to swing downwardly and backwardly to bring its lower front cornerto rest against the secant face of the forepart, a cam portion on each`end of the link, and a spring-pressed ball mounted in leach last part tocooperate with the correspondtempted by a notch, whereby the heel partmay vswing; upwardly and forwardly about the front link pivot anddownwardly and backwardly about the rear link pivot to bring the lowerfront heel part corner into said notch, a cam portion on each end of thelink, and a springpressed ball mounted in each last part to cooperatewith the corresponding cam portion to hold the last in extended andcollapsed positions.

HENRY F. LOEWER.

